A question to British DUers - Are Britains putting up flags everywhere?

[fujiyama]

Here after 9/11 there was a huge frenzy to buy flags.

How is the reaction there? Are people doing the same thing - putting up Union Jacks everywhere?

[Lorien]

1. I seriously doubt it

my next door neighbor was born and raised in London, and only recently moved here with his wife. He called me this morning to help him give a pill to his cat. When I walked into his home, I asked if his friends and family were fine. He smiled and said "oh yes, yes-everyone is fine and accounted for. Now let's find the kitty..." He's a reporter working for Fox news through an international contractor, and his wife works for PBS-so it's not as if he's not fully aware of what's going on in the world (and yes, he is appalled by the way Fox tries to get him to "spin" the news-his group WON'T play along). Londoners know how to deal with terrorists; don't let them win by allowing them to change the way you feel or conduct your life.

[JimmyJazz]

11. I had the same reaction from a friend of mine. I sent her an e-mail

asking if her family was all accounted for. She wrote back "I haven't been able to get through to anyone on the phone and, btw, we are having a picnic at the end of July, would you care to join us?"

[mwb970]

15. Americans are obsessed with the flag.

It's a case of confusing the symbol with the reality. And the wronger our government's policies are, the more flags you see everywhere. We're nuts!

[Karenina]

2. They're at the pubs, debriefing with friends.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[Taxloss]

3. There is no jingoistic reaction.

There will be no jingoistic reaction.

we have to face the fact that the people who did this were, very probably, Londoners.

The bastards.

[baby_mouse]

4. No.

[T_i_B]

5. No

When I have seen flags of late they have been at half mast.

We get the flags out when the World Cup and the European Championships are on.

[julianer]

6. No flags

Our 'patriotism' isn't regularly questioned, so we don't need to wave flags.

Patriotism doesn't have a wholly positive image here - the only readily accepted form is the mass display of St George crosses whenever England are involved in a football tournament; a bit of self-conscious irony at 'the Last Night of the Proms', perhaps.

No pledges and not much national anthem singing or any sort of public obeissance to the state or queen in the UK, really.

[ikri]

7. Well

I've just checked by looking out of the window here, and at least on my street there are no flags of any kind flying.

If people over here have any flags they're usually the local national flags (English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish) rather than the British flag. The flags that people do have are generally only used when there's some kind of sporting event, usually football, happening.

I'd not expect to see many flags flying much until next summer's World Cup in Germany.

I'll have to check when I do some shopping, but I'd expect that the only flags flying around here will be on the town hall (they're probably the only people around here with a British flag).

[BooScout]

8. Brits don't "do the flag thing"

....Unless a sporting even is on and then it won't be the Union Jack. Flag waving is associated with Nationalism across the pond.........with good reason......his name was Hitler and he loved to fly the swastika.

[mr blur]

9. No, we know who we are,

We don't go in for flag-waving, really. What's the point?

[ist rad]

10. haven't seen any, apart from in the local UKIP-nut butcher's window

And that's always there. A couple of bricks have gone through the window of the local mosque, though- but then again that's a pretty regular occurence, too.

[T_i_B]

12. I'm worried for our Muslim friends

The Muslims I have come across since the attack are as outraged as anyone else about it, but there are always the nasties about who will go after them for this.

In particular an Islamic centre has opened up in a very Conservative town near where I live (didn't even know they had any Muslims in that town before the place opened on the site of the old Labour hall) and I do worry that that place will be targeted.

[mrfrapp]

13. No

Adoration of the national flag is peculiar to the USA. Also, the concept of patriotism (which the display of the American flag is meant to represent) is largely meaningless in the UK.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

14. Shit. Anyone want a good deal on 10,000 magnetic Union Jacks?

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Is that you, Brit Hume?

Looks like it was a lousy time to buy, after all.

[ole_evil_eye]

17. are they actually made in Britain

or are they like our yellow ribbons and made by children in Taiwan?

[Taxloss]

18. No, I've noticed no ostentatious displays.

People put up more George's Crosses during football tournaments.

Of course, the flag issue is a little troubled here; not only has the Union flag only recently been reclaimed from the far right, the countries of the Union have their own flags - the George's Cross for England, the Welsh Dragon, and the Saltire, plus the various flags for NI, Manx, Jersey and so on.

Maybe this will change.

[JimmyJazz]

20. Am I being offensive with my flag? Please tell me if I am.

I would not want to offend ANYONE and am just trying to be respectful.

[Taxloss]

21. Oh, heavens no.

On Edit: I like seeing the George's Cross.

[JimmyJazz]

23. Thank you.

I've seen a lot of Union Jacks flying and I was just wondering.

[Taxloss]

24. As I say, it was a little controversial about 10 years ago,

but now we've reclaimed the flag from the Nazi nutjobs.

[JimmyJazz]

25. Meh - I was just trying to show that some of us know the

difference between the two flags even though we aren't British

You know I love you.

[Taxloss]

26. Believe me, that wasn't lost on me.

I love you right back, sweetie.

[wovenpaint]

19. I live in New England-I've seen British flags here

I saw them today - flying under the the US flag. Some are a variation with the word "friendship" on them (IIRC) and the Union Jack in the corner.

[expatriate]

22. I may be wrong, but the flag flying thing

seems to be pretty much American - and it wasn't even a big thing in America until the Reagan years. When I was a pup, the only places you saw an American flag flying were the post office, outside of schools, on military bases and outside of government office buildings. Then the great flag waving began during the Reagan years and has grown ever since, boosted by 9/11.

I spent some time in Britain in the late 70's, early 80's, and never saw the sort of flag display that is seen in the US. I've lived in Australia for seven years and it's the same story.

[sweetheart]

27. I have a union jack and a st. andrews cross up

They've been up for months, and the wind has eaten away the tattered
edge... so nothing special for some attack or any other.

They're pretty flags, and they tell the wind direction as they flutter
in the breeze. There are mink whales sounding in the water offshore
from the flags.... they must be british mink!